Don't Just Say
by KozueNoSaru
Summary: AU At 16 years old, Ichiro Neili has a lot to deal with now that he leads a normal life. His normal life, however, is about to thrust him into conflict with a different kind of enemy...


Disclaimer: KoDraCan disclaims SRMTHFG (!). The fandom is the creation and the copyright of Ciro Neili. This prose is a fan-based work and is _fictional_. Any infringement upon Mr. Neili is not intended. Also, any other brand names of products that are obviously not a creation of KoDraCan or Mr. Neili also falls under the disclaimer..

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Warning: Be advised, this fic contains romantic male/male pairing. There is also some occurrences of out-of-characterness.

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AN: To KnucklesRedFury207.2 and MiniMaloMyotismon10

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**Don't Just Say**

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It started out as another school day in Shuggazoom. A familiar 16-year-old boy walked on the worn weather-beaten path that led to his home; a giant box-shaped robot. Ichiro Neili, or simply Chiro, let out another cough as he walked home, pulling the jacket of the beige gakuran closer to his fairly athletic build. Now just a normal young man attending public school, Chiro was finding out that his normal life was just as stressful as his life as a superhero. Now he faced advanced placement classes and exams, after-school extra-curricular activities, obtaining scholarships and applying for college. In just two years, he would be an adult and many of Shuggazoom's restrictive laws would no longer apply to him.

For example, the public school system couldn't send him home on the account of potential illness if he was of age.

Such was the case today, as he had been sent home again by the public school health official. Mr. Hal Gibson was not going to be a happy monkey; for this was the third time the school had sent him home for health reasons. That meant that Gibson would have to resume schooling him, as he did when Chiro was younger. The young man cringed at the thought of sitting in the instruction area of the Super Robot and listen to Gibson lecture.

Upon entering the boxy robot, the young man made a detour through the galley and placed his schoolbag on the island. He opened the fridge and took out a cold can of soda, opening it, drinking it all and closing the door back.

"Guys, I'm home." He said after a short coughing fit.

"Chiro," Antauri happened to levitate in the galley shortly after,"Don't tell me...you've been sent home again for suspected illness."

The young man's eyes were downcast, refusing to look at his concerned father-figure.

"Chiro, this is the third time this school year," Antauri began sternly; "You know what that means."

Chiro panicked, looking at the silver monkey right in the eyes, "No Antauri! Please! Don't tell Gibson I'm sick!"

"So you admit to being ill."

"Yeah—wait, no, no I don't! Just don't tell Gibson." The teen gasped.

"That is not an option, Chiro." Antauri said, standing firmly by the policy.

Nova happened to walk in the galley with groceries.

"What's going on--Chiro? You're not sick again are you?" She asked, placing the bags on the island.

"Yes, he is." Antauri sighed.

"I'm fine," Chiro stated in defense, tossing the empty soda can in the trash, "It's just the school nurse being an overprotective old lady. She acts as if I have the plague."

"Chiro, we've heard you cough enough times to figure out if it's serious or not. These last few weeks that you've been in school, that cough's gotten worse." Nova said, putting up the groceries with Chiro and Antauri's help.

"I'm telling you guys, it's nothing to be worried about. I'll pull through like I always do." Chiro told them, walking out of the galley and into the Command Center.

"And yet you insist that it is nothing." Antauri sighed, eyeing the teenager cautiously, followed by Nova.

"Uh-oh, Chiro's home early. You know what that means." Otto said, hanging from the ceiling by his tail.

Chiro looked up and waved, happy to be a jovial face out of the serious ones.

"Hey Otto! I almost didn't notice you up there. Are you doing repairs?"

"Yep, I just now finished."

Otto swung up and dove towards the floor, landing on all fours and scampering over to give Chiro a hug. The teen laughed and hugged back, watching Gibson emerge from his lab.

"Hi Gibson."

"Chiro, it's 1:34 in the afternoon. There's no emergency and you don't leave school until 2:35. I sense tha you're ill yet again."

Chiro sighed and sat down on the floor with Otto in his lap, "It's nothing, you guys. Really."

"I'm getting very irate with that excuse, Chiro."

"I know you are but--"

"You're going to Shuggazoom Medical Center first thing in the morning. The school called my laboratory personally. You are to remain here under our surveillance for the rest of the week."

"But Gibson--"

"You know he is to school you here if you were to be sent home because of illness, Chiro." Antauri reminded him.

The boy huffed and crossed his arms and sighed, he was tired of fighting his family about the matter of his health. Sans Otto, everyone had no qualms pointing out that Chiro should see a human physician about his bouts of illness.

Dressed in a loose shirt and jeans, Chiro (with Antauri as moral support) ventured to Shuggazoom Medical Center the next morning. After having several tests performed on him and being on a cold countertop for most of the morning, Chiro was relieved to see the silver monkey after the long hour away from him. He had Antauri's hand tightly in his own as he said, "I'm…I'm really scared, Antauri.

Antauri gently ruffled his hair with his free hand to comfort him, "It'll be all right, Chiro…"

The doctor finally came in the room. He was a young doctor with a very serious edge to him. He looked disheartened as he asked, "Ichiro Neili?"

"Please, sir, I prefer 'Chiro'."

"Chiro…you have no surviving human relatives, is that correct?"

"That's right. The monkey team is my family."

"Chiro, do you know anything about your human family; anything at all?"

"I was fostered until I was twelve. When I found the monkey team, my foster parents died. They didn't know anything about my birth parents either."

"Do not take this as offense, but we are his family."

"Chiro I'm only asking because I need to know if your human family has any hereditary diseases."

"What are you saying, doc?"

"...I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you have early stages of leukemia."

Horror filled the 16-year-old's eyes. He began to tremble as images of losing his hair and laying in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm flashed in his mind.

"I…I have cancer?!" Chiro asked before finally breaking down and sobbing.

Antauri was just as horrified. He held the human, desperately trying to refrain from sobbing along with the poor boy.

"It's not too late, Chiro. We can begin treatment immediately if you want. We're very grateful for what you've done for our city and for our families. We're willingly to get you the treatment you need."

Chiro was too distraught to answer.

"We-we will need to discuss this among the rest of the Hyperforce, doctor."

"I understand, Antauri. Here," the young doctor handed Antauri some information, "Look this over with the other monkeys. Since you're his legal guardians, it's best that he hears the options from you all. Please call me with an answer sometime this week?"

"Of course; thank you again, doctor." Antauri stated, taking Chiro out of the room.

Chiro was still sobbing as he got dressed. Antauri understood the pain Chiro was experiencing. He wanted to say something, anything to him.

"Chiro--"

"I don't wanna die Antauri!!"

"You're not going to die, Chiro...I won't let you. WE won't let you."

The boy's eyes were downcast once more.

"Chiro-kun, look at me."

Chiro eventually faced his concerned father-figure.

"All is not lost, Chiro. As you have said in the past, you will 'pull through it like you always do'."

"Antauri…I just wanna go home."

Chiro was silent on the walk back to the Super Robot. Once in the command center, he curled up in his chair and began to sob again.

Otto emerged from his workshop via transport tube, hoping to catch Chiro and ask him about the doctor when he saw him crying.

"Chi-chi? What' the matter? What happened at the doctor?" Otto asked, running over to the young man.

It took a few noisy sniffles before Chiro answered, "I have cancer, Otto."

"Um, what's cancer?" Otto tilted his head and asked, sound genuinely confused.

Chiro sobbed again; watching Gibson come in the command room when Otto asked the question.

"Chiro? Why is he crying, Otto?"

"I don't know, Gibson. Chiro?"

Otto did the one thing he knew normally cheered Chiro right up; he cuddled up to him to try comfort him.

"Thanks a lot, Gibson! This is your fault!" Chiro snarled, coughing in between his outburst, "I have CANCER!"

"WHAT?! How was your getting cancer MY fault?!"

"If I never went to the doctor I wouldn't have known I was going to die!"

Otto fell on the floor from Chiro yelling. The young man picked Otto up and cuddled him.

"I'm so sorry Otto."

"Calm down, you're acting irrational. Now, what did the doctor say?" Gibson demanded.

"The doctor said I have leukemia."

"What stage are you? If it's early, then it's treatable."

"He did say it's in the early stage, "Chiro admitted, feeling foolish for lashing out, "Where's Nova?"

"Don't you remember? She and Sprx left early this morning."

"They're currently serving as weekend ambassadors to planet Ankara. They won't be back for another two days. We can reach them by video phone."

Placing Otto in the chair, Chiro rushed to the video booth and closed the sealed the automatic doorway. He then proceeded to call Nova and Sprx.

On Ankara, Nova, who was still wet from a shower, picked up the other end of the phone. Sprx has just entered the room bearing food. Nova's pink eyes lit up at the sight of the teen.

"Hi Chiro! How was the doctor?" She asked as Sprx waved to Chiro in the background.

"Hi Nova! Hey Sprx!" Chiro answered before taking a deep breath,"I have some news about that."

"Well don't keep us in suspense, tell us!"

"I went to the doctor and," tears came to his eyes, "I...I have cancer you guys."

Nova was speechless.

"Novie? What's the matter?" Sprx asked her when it became obvious that Nova wasn't saying anything after a few minutes. Nova began to cry.

"The hell? Chiro, what did you SAY to her?"

"Please don't cry, Nova! It's at an early stage and treatable!"

"You have cancer?!"

"Yeah, I'm really scared."

"...Kid, I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be Sprx. You didn't know. I'll keep you guys posted. Please, don't tell anyone. I know if Suupa or Neekeeta knew, they'd rush over here and I don't need that right now."

"We'll be on the next available flight back to Shuggazoom."

"…I love you guys." Chiro hung up the phone.

Later that evening, after completing his homework, Chiro looked up from his seat on his bed and looked around him. His room had changed from when he was a child; it now reflected less about his interests and more about his family. On his nightstand was a family picture, with Clayton Carrington and Jinmay, taken during happy times, before the 'spilt'. He still cared for the android, but just not romantically. He did take the break-up with Jinmay rather hard, but at least he still had her friendship. Right beside the current family portrait was a funhouse picture of him and Otto at Slip-&-Slide Water Park slide last summer. The teen laughed at the silly faces they made for the picture. He remembered Otto promising him after a wonderful day there.

"_We'll come back here next summer! It'll be just the two of us!" _

"_Cool…just as long as you don't try to cram all the food again."_

"_Aww…you're no fun, Chi-chi! I can't help it; it tastes so good! When are we ever gonna have food like that in Shuggazoom?"_

"_You got a point there, Ottie."_

Chiro looked at the picture of him and Otto for the longest time before leaving placing it over his heart. He sat the picture down and went to see, who else, but—

"Antauri?" the teen asked, standing in the doorway of his father-figure's room.

"Yes, Chiro?"

The teenager took a deep breath, "I…I've given it a lot of thought…and I want to start treatment as soon as possible."

Antauri came out of his meditative state and levitated over, wrapping his arms around the boy in a hug, "I wish to Verans to give you strength, Chiro."

Just as the young man was about to thank Antauri, Otto ran by them, crying as Gibson ran after him begging him to calm down. Otto sealed the door to his workshop, causing the door to slam in Gibson's face and for the blue monkey to fall over.

"Otto!" The teen gasped as Antauri helped Gibson to his feet.

"I explained to him what cancer was. I'm afraid now he's inconsolable. He thinks you're going to die."

Chiro just gave Gibson a look as he knocked on the door. "Otto? Otto, it's me. Let me in…please?"

The door opened up more gently as noisy sniffling was heard. Chiro turned to the other two monkeys.

"I think I need to talk to him alone. Antauri, help Gibson clean up his nose; it's bleeding."

"Now that I think about it, I did run into that infernal door rather hard." Gibson stated in dazed manner as Antauri led him away.

"Come now, Gibson…let's tend to that bleeding muzzle." Antauri offered.

"Thank guys." Chiro said gently before entering Otto's workshop.

The workshop of the green monkey was much like his personal quarters; it was filled with half-completed projects and mechanic magazines. It even had the same green interior tones as Otto's personal room. Had it not been for the draft table, the mini-television set and the hammock in the room, it would greatly resemble Otto's sleeping quarters.

There in the hammock in left corner of the room was Otto, curled up in a ball and still sniffling noisily. Chiro carefully approached the green monkey until he was close enough to him to pick him up. He tenderly scooped Otto up in his arms and sat on the floor with him.

"Hey buddy...it's gonna be ok..."

Otto shook his head, "I don't wanna lose you, Chiro!"

"You're not gonna lose me, Ottie." The young man offered.

The poor green monkey sobbed again, "I...I love you too much!"

Hearing those words from Otto made the boy smile. He snuggled the green monkey, telling him, "I love you too. I'm not gonna give up, Otto. I'm gonna fight this. I'm gonna get the treatments…and someday, I'll get better. I'll even go back to the water park with you this summer."

Otto was surprised Chiro even remembered. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, 'really'; after all, it'll be just the two of us. So, from now on, there are no more tears from either of us."

Otto flashed his mega-watt smile and hugged the boy tight. Chiro laughed and hugged him back, gently wiping away the monkey's tears. Otto gave a sweet little smiled before initiating a playful wrestling match with Chiro, who lost.

"Nyah-nyah!" The green monkey chided, scampering on all fours. Chiro ran after him and soon they were playing with one another as if the last ten minutes of hurt and comfort never happened.

Months after being diagnosed, Chiro looked like a different person. He lost his hair due to the chemotherapy, but wore a bandana around his head to compensate for it. His treatments left him weak and he often slept during the day. He couldn't go on missions or patrols anymore, but he did improve on his computer skills, writing new programming for the Super Robot and made quite a little bit of extra money as an upcoming graphic arts designer.

One day Chiro woke up with a dreadful feeling. He couldn't place what it was, but he felt that something was doing to happen that day; something big.

While napping in his command chair after finishing up another graphic arts project, He heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"CHIRO!"

"Oh geez!" The young man nearly fell from his chair, seeing the dreadfully worried pink cat-girl helping him up. Behind her was a familiar blue amphibian strangely out of his space uniform.

"N-Neekeeta? Suupa?

The Kathorian hugged him and licked his cheek, "It's so good to see you, Chiro."

"We're here for you, Chiro! All of us!" Suupa offered.

"Uh…thank you?" Chiro offered, standing up, "So Suupa…did you come to see Gibson?"

The frog admitted, "Well, y-yes, that as well."

Neekeeta offered, "But most importantly, to see you get better from your illness and root you on."

Chiro finally got what they were saying and groaned, asking no one in particular, "Ok, who blabbed?! Did you guys tell anyone else? Monkey Team, come to the command center now!"

Once assembled, the culprit was made obvious.

"Sprx!!!"

"IT WASN'T INTENTIONAL! IT SLIPPED!"

Chiro simply sighed in defeat. "I guess it's all right if only Suupa and Neekeeta know."

The chime of a doorbell was heard.

"…When did we get a doorbell?" Chiro asked.

"Otto was bored out of his mind, so he installed it."

Virtually all their allies and their families were camped out in the park. Chiro sighed as he went to the park waving at all his friends. "Grreat…everyone knows." The young man whined.

"Hey Otto, I'll race you to the lake!"

"You're on!"

The boy had a fair pace starting out, leaving the others to greet their allies before running to the lake. Halfway through however, Chiro began to lose steam and trip, coughing. Worried, Otto caught up to him and helped him up.

"I'm ok Otto."

"Take it easy, okay?

"I'm fine, Otto…really."

"If you say so...let's just walk."

The young man sheepishly smiled, walking to the lake. At the edge of the lake, they sat and watched the sunset.

"Oh wow, I've never seen it so…orange."

"It's…pretty."

"Yeah it is. It also kinda reminds me of a certain green monkey."

All Otto could do was blush.

The young man pulled Otto close and snuggled him, "I don't know what I would have done without you all these years, Otto. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Chiro. I always have. And I always will!"

"Aww! That's what I love about you Otto: You're so sweet."

The green monkey nuzzled him. Chiro snuggled him again, standing up, He walked to a clearing, a small ways from the others, where a handmade hammock and a blanket was waiting for them. He laid in it with Otto and stroked the monkey's back tenderly

"Ch-Chiro..." the monkey purred deeply.

The young man nibbled Otto's neck, wrapping a blanket around them.

"Chi-chi..." Otto murmured, kissing him.

He smiled and kissed back rubbing against Otto gently, whispering "Ottie..." as he rubbed the base of his tail. Poor Otto blushed again.

"Mmmm....on-on the ground?"

"Actually, Ottie, I wanna have fun in the hammock."

"Oh…okay."

In his lab with Suupa, Gibson suddenly had a very random thought about Chiro and Otto.

"I just had a random thought...I hope they're using protection..."

His amphibian colleague just gave him a look.

"That was so much fun!"

"Yeah it was, but our hammock broke, Ottie."

"S'ok. I can make us a new one."

The two finally came out from under the blanket, blushing and Chiro's clothing disheveled.

"You think someone heard us?" Otto asked him.

Random whooping and hollering from the campsite answered his question.

The teen took Otto by the hand and decided to face the rest of the world. Granted, poor Chiro had a lot to explain to his friends and family that evening, but as long as he had the love of a great friend, he'd be all right, and that was what really mattered.

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**END**


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